At SCO Meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh takes a strong stand against terrorism

New Delhi (India) June 26: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave a critical speech on terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, China, on Thursday. In the months after the Pahalgam terror attack in April, Singh subtly slammed Pakistan.

He said, "We reiterate the need to hold the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross border terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomever committed. SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally." 

Singh underlined that the escalating threat of terrorism, extremism and radicalisation is the root cause of these problems.

He said, “Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security.”

Singh emphasised that 'The Resistance Front' (TRF), a front for the UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was responsible for the latest terror incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

He said, "On 22 April 2025, the terror group 'The Resistance Front' (TRF) carried out a dastardly and heinous attack on innocent tourists at Pahalgam in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. 26 innocent civilians, including a Nepali national, were killed. Victims were shot at after they were profiled based on religious identity. The Resistance Front which is a proxy of UN designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed responsibility for the attack." 

Singh stated that terrorism is a transnational issue that needs a coordinated response from states, and he emphasised India's determination to fight it in all of its forms and aspects.

Rajnath Singh has also declined to sign a joint statement since it excluded any reference to the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that claimed 26 lives.

The paper made reference to Balochistan, excluding any reference to Pahalgam and impliedly accused India of stirring trouble in that region. According to the sources, Singh declined to sign the document because it "would have diluted India's stand."

The removal of Pahalgam from the text seems to have been done at Pakistan's request because China, its all-weather partner, currently holds the SCO Chair.

India has repeatedly denied Pakistan's claims of involvement in Balochistan, saying that rather than making irrational accusations, Islamabad ought to think about itself and stop supporting terrorism.

Defence leaders from member states such as China, Russia, India, and numerous Central Asian countries gather for the two-day SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting to discuss matters regarding regional and global peace and security.

The SCO is an international organisation that was founded in 2001 with the goal of advancing regional security and stability by communication and collaboration. In 2017, India obtained full membership.

Aadrika Tayal